Trunk rack



Dec; 6, 1927. 1551,974 y I '.E. H. SPECHT A TRUNK RACK gFiled neo. e, 192e 2 sheets-sheer 1 IN VEN TOR. 0 WARD H. sPEcHr.

TORNEYS.

Dec. 6, 1927. 11,651,974?

. E.`H. SPECHT f. K'

.TRUNKRACK Filed Dec. s. 1926 2 sheets-snm. 2 f

v INVENTOR. EDWARD H. SPEC/f7'.

Q BY l t r l ATTORNEYS.

Patented i Dec, 19.27,'.

"UNITED sTfArEs PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. SPEGHT, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNA.

VTRUNK RACK.

Application filed December 8, 1926. Serial No. 153,229.

.additional carrying space for luggage and v' the like without decreasing or cramping the spacerequired by the occupants of the vehicle. This demand is sometimes met by strapping luggage upon theruining gear of the car, which arrangement is not only unsightly but imposes an unequalload upon the spring suspension of the vehicle. Other expedients have been concerned with the application of the luggage to the rear of the vehicle by mounting it upon permanent luggageor trunk platforms secured at the rear of the vehicle, or. temporary makeshifts' carried by the rear frame an'd the like. i

AIn my Patents Nos. 1,506,274 and 1,522,339, issued to me on' lAugust 26th, 1924, and January 6, 1925, respectively, I have shown trunk racks pivotally mounted in vconnection with automobile bumpers and with auto mobile bumper tips or wings. In these instances, however, the trunk racks have either derivedtheir support While in their load-supporting position from the bumpers on which they are mounted or from special construction of the bumper structures-to' which they are attached.

It is the principal object ofthe present invention to provide a' pivoted trunk rack having all of the advantages of the trunk Yracks shown in the ab0ve-mentioned patents and being further adapted for use upon bumpers and bumper tips of general commercial construction without alteration.of the bumper structure upon which the trunk rack is to be mounted, and which trunk rack may pe readilyfolded into a non-supporting ora supporting position and will be held therein by amounting fitting of universal application.

`The present mvention contemplates the use of a luggage-supporting frame or plat- .'formcarryi-ng pivoted fittings whereby said 'automobile mainl frame.

example in the accompanying drawings in Which-.- p

Figure 1 is a viewin plan illustrating the present invention as applied to one form ofbumper. .Y a Figure 2 is a View in plan showing the invention as applied to 'another form of bum-per. 1

Figure' 3 ,is a View in transverse section through the trunk rack mounting and the bumper as seen on the line 34-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section through the bumper mounting as seen on the 'line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 isa view in perspective showing the trunk rack as applied to the Wings of-a bumper structure of the general design shown in Figure l Figure 6'is a View in section and elevation through the trunk rack and bumper indicating the trunk rack by solid lines as in its horizontal load-supporting position and by dotted lines in its vertical nonload-support- Aing position.

Figure 7 is an enlarged View in perspective showing one'of the trunk rack fittings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings z-lO and 11 indicate a pair of supporting brackets by which a 'bumper st-ructure 12 is secured transversely ofthe rear of an It is to be under# stood that thefbumper structure may be of any preferred form, as for example it may em. body the 4use `of bumper tips or wings 13 and 14, as shown in Figure 1, or the use of a bumper bar 15 which continues entirely across l-the rear of anv automobile. .In 'any event, a trunk rackor supporting platform 16 is adapted to be secured to the bumper structure. This rack, as shown in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawing, consists of a rectanguiar frame having transversely extending rails 1 8 and 19 and longitudinallyconnectmg rails 20 and 2l. Thel frame or platform l is supplemented by a plurality of slats or bars 22, which make a supporting structure.

upon which luggage may be disposed when the trunk rack is swung to its horizontal position.

It will be understood of course that the exact construction of the trunk rack is not essential to the present invention, but that it may `loe of any desired design whereby it will satisfactorily support a load when disposed in this horizontal position. The rack as here shown, is provided with mounting fittings 23. These fittings are formed with a back plate 24 and a horizontally projecting bearing plate 25 formed'integral therewith and disposed at right angles thereto. This plate is suitably reinforced so that 1t will satisfactorilysupport the load disposed upon the trunlrracl. `The detail of construction of the fitting 23 is clearly shown in Figures 3, Il and 7 of the drawing. Abearing plate 25 is formed with holes 2G adapted to receive pivot bolts 2G. The fitting as shown in the drawing is formed with two of these holes. rlhis construction has been followed in order to make the fittings reversible so that identical' littings may be used on opposite sides of the trunk rack without requiring special and individual machine work to produce each oi the fittings. Formed on one side ol each oit the bearing plates 2.5 are a pair of horizontaldugs27 and 28 anda vertical lug 29. The opposing faces oi' the lugs 27 and 2S are parallel and are disposed horizontally when the fitting is i secured to a bumper structure. These lugs are used to co-operate with the trunk rack when swung to its horizontal position and to form a lixed shoulder against which the upwardly swinging innermost end of the trunk rack frame may abut when the frame is iu its horizontally disposed position. It will of course be understood that for this purpose the uppermost lug will be en* countered by the upwardly swinging portion of the trunk rack frame and that the lugs 27 and 28 are provided so that when the fitting is turned over it will be applicable for use upon either side of the trunk rack. The vertically disposed lug 29 is on the outer edge of the bearing plate 25 and is disposed on a plane substantially midway between the horizontal planes of the bolt holes 26. The width of this vertical lug is such that the uppermost edge of the lug will be engaged by the lower face of the trunk rack frame 16 when the frame swings to its horizontal position as particularly shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. Thus the under face of the upper lugs 27 and the upper face of the vertical lug 29 will be disposed on opposite sides of the fulcium point of the trunk rack and the lugs will therefore co-operate in supporting the load im osed upon the trunk rack when the rack is isposed horizontally. Vhen the trunk rack is in its vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 6, the inner face of the lug 29 will be encountered by the under face of the trunk rack and will aet to steady the trunk rack in its vertical position. bolt 41- may be passed through the upper bolt hole 42 or other similar means maybe provided to hold the trunk rack in its vertical position. Under normal conditions, however, a' spring washer 31 is positioned If desired, a lock between the nutfon the pivot bolts 26f' y and theface ot' the taink rack Jframe to create suflicient friction to hold the trunk rack in either its'` operative or inoperative ligurations, and with a dill'erent number of 75 bumper bars, as shown in Figuiie el of the drawings, a two-part clamp is provided. This comprises a bar and a bar 3st. These bars over ap each other and are formed with a central slotted opening 3ft to receivea ee clamping bolt 'lhe opposite free ends of the clamping bars are turned to 'lorin lipslG which projectoier the outer edges of the bars 3T ot' the bumper tips of the bumper.

llhen the clam Jineibars have been suitably 8C adjusted to the bumper bars, the bolt 35 may be tightened by its nut 3S and will thus rigidly hold the mountings in position upon the bumper structure. In some instances, however, it is desirable to mount the au bumper upon a single bumper bar, as indicated at 39 in Figure 2. Then this is done a. clamping bar 40 may be provided having filler plates or lugs 42 of a width equal to the bumper bar 39. Bolts 43 may then be 95 passed through openings in the plate 24 'andl the clamping bar 'l0 and upon opposite sides of the bar 39 upon which the device is mounted.

In operation of the present invention, the 10U trunk rack may be made up as desired and may be equipped with complementary fit tings 25 andinay thereafter be applied to a bumper structure as shown in Figures 1, 2 or 5. It will be recognized that for convenience 105 in shipping and packing, the inountings 25 may be removed from the rack and that the necessary parts of the structure, including rack frame and the n'iountings, maybe placed in a compact guard so that the device may Ixo be readily merchandised through jobbeis and dealers. y

lVhen the device has been rigidly mounted upon a bumper by the clamping plates and the bolts, the trunk rack may be used. Normally the trunk rack will stand in the ver- `tical dotted line position'shown in Figure 6 in which position it will serve as additional collision protection for the rear of the car and across the area way occupied by the spare tire. lVhen it is desired to use the trunk rack, it may be swung downwardly to its horizontal posit-ion,.as indicated by full .lines in Figure 6, at which time the upper edge of the trunk rack adjacent the pivot 197 bolts will engage the undel faces of the lugs 27v and the lower face of the trunk rack in the rear of the pivot bolts will encounter the up? per faces of the vertical lugs 29, thus firmy holding the trunk rack in its horizontal pff. 'a mi" K' posi'te sidesA of the fulcrum trunk rack to support the rac position, or when it is not expected to use the rack for a prolonged periodof time, rthe entire structure may be removed from the bumper and conveniently stored. y

By referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, .it

will be seen that the rack may be locked in. either of its positions by a lock bolt 41. This .bolt is adapted to pass through one of two openings in the fittings. In operation, theA bolt is positionedfthrough the upper one of between the head of the bolt and lng 27 or the openings 42 so that the space between'the upper and rear faces of the bolt head willbe flush against the frame ofthe rack. In this manner, the rack will be securely fastened 28, as the case may be, when the rack lies horizontally and thehead of the 'bolt and the lug 29 when the rack is in its vertical posi` trunk'rack\`and 'its load when the rack has tion. .Y

While I have shown thepreferred form my invention as now known to me, it Will be understood that".varioi1s changes may be `made in the combination, construction". and

arrangement of part-s without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what y I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-l l. In combinationwith a bumper structure adapted to be disposedtransversely of the rea-r of a vehicle, a. foldable trunk rack, and means for pivotally mounting said trunk rack upon the bumper and at the rear thereof.

2. In combination with a bumper structure adapted to be disposed transversely of the rear of `a vehicle, a foldable trunkrack,

` vand means for pivotally mounting said trunk rack upon the bumper and at the rear -thereof, and means embodied in said pivotal mountings for holding the trunk rack in a manner to support a .load when said trunk rack 1s 1n its horizontal position.

In combination .with a bumper structure adapted to be disposed transversely of the rear of a vehicle, a foldable trunk rack,

means for pivotally mounting` said trunk I rack upon the bumper and at the-rear thereof, means embodied in said pivotal mountings for holding the trunk rack in a manner to support a load when said trunk rack is in its horizontal position,` and means for limiting the vertical swinging movement of the trunk rack and positioning said trunk rack in a vertical non-supporting position.

4. In combination with a bumper construction adapted to be supported transversely of the rear of a vehicle, a trunk rack, mounting memberspivotally secured to the trunk 'swingupon its pivots from a vertical to a horizontal position, and stop members formed as part of lsaid mountings for holding the trunk rack and its load 'when the rack has moved to its horizontal position.` 5. In combination with a bumper construction adapted to be supported transversely of i the rear of a vehicle, a trunk rack, mounting f members pivotally secured to the truck rack adjacent its opposite ends and near one edge thereof and means for fastening said mounting membersto the bumper structure, and

means for securing said trunk rack -mount-A ings against the rear face of the bumpe'r structure wherebyA said trunk rack may swing upon its pivots from a vertical to a horizontal position, and stop members formed as part of mountings for holding the moved toits; horizontal position, and stop v.members carried bysaid mounting for limiting t e vertical "swinging` movement ofthe trunk rack and for holding said trunkrack in its vertical position when desired.-

Q6. In combination with a bumper structure and a trunlrrack adapted to be pivotally supported from the impact surface thereof, mount'ng members disposed at the opposite ends'o said rack, said-members comprising a fastening plate adapted to lie against the impactl surface of the bumper, a bearing plateextending substantially at right angles to the fastening platel and projecting voutwardly fromrthe face of the bumper, pivot bolts carried by the bearing plate and adapt ed to engage t e opposite ends of the trunk rack to pivotally support the same, means on the rear of the bumper co-operating with,

7. In combination with a bumper structure I and a trunk rack adapted to be pivotally supported'from the impact surface thereof, mounting members disposed at the opposite ends of said rack, s aid members comprising a fastening plate adapted to lie against the impact surface of the bumper, a bearing plate extending substantially at right angles tothe fastening plate and projecting outwardly from the face of the bumper, pivot bolts carried by the bearing plate and adapted toengage the opposite ends ofthe trunk rack topivotally support the same'means on the rear of the bumper coopera-ting with the fastening plate, and'fastening members pass'- ing through said fastening plate Aand the' 'rear bumper clamps, and sets of stops forming-a part of the bearing plates andadapted' to limit tlie Swingin; movementof the trunk rack from its vertical to horizontal positions.

2n. In combination with a bumper structure and aA trunk racladapted to be pivotally supported from the impact surface thereof, mounting membersdisposed at the opposite ends of said rack, said members comprising a fastening plate adapted to lie 'against the impact surt'aee of the bumper, a bearing plate extending substantially at right angles to the fasteninnvl plate and projecting outwardly from the face of the bumper, pivot bolts carried by the bearing` plate and adapt- Aed to engagetlie opposite ends of the trunk rack to pivotall`r support the same, means on the rear of the bumper cooperating with the fasteningplate, and fastening members passing through said fastening plate and the rear bumper clamps, and sets of stops forming a part of the bearing plates and adapted to limit the swinging movement of the trunk rack from its AVertical to horizontal position, Y

said members cooperating to support the trunk rack and lts load when the trunk rac 1s in a vertical posltlon.

EDWARD H. SPECHT. 

